


Curiosity's Curse

by Lululeigh



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe, Curiosity, Gen, Horror, Supernatural Elements, haunted forest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:41:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25204879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lululeigh/pseuds/Lululeigh
Summary: As a young lady devoted to science, little Sully is determined to discover the truth about the neighbours who dwell in the forest of her village.
Kudos: 5





	Curiosity's Curse

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fan fiction for [Pawn and Prey](https://twitter.com/blackbutlerzine), a horror Black Butler zine!
> 
> As always, I send a huge thank you to [thislittlekumquat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thislittlekumquat) for being my beta reader for this project!

Wolfsschlucht.  _ The Wolf’s Gorge _ . Few visitors came to the small town tucked away into the corner of the gorge, which was understandable given the looming forest that encircled the area. The older villagers, parents, and schoolteachers always retold stories from their ancestors about the history of their town and said forest, especially those that would scare children into staying inside once the sun had set. 

At least, that’s what they were  _ supposed  _ to do. Little Sieglinde however, the ten-year-old daughter of the genius doctors Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, was completely unfazed by such horrendous tales.  _ She  _ wanted to see the outside world and all it had to offer.  _ She _ certainly wasn’t going to be cooped up inside all day in the schoolhouse only to be ushered back home to spend the rest of the evening longingly staring out the window. So, as the sun descended below the horizon for the evening, Sieglinde quietly made her escape out the back door, her parents too preoccupied with their experiments to notice her disappearance. She threw her cloak on in a rush and started down the worn path that ran behind her house, forgetting to take a lantern to help guide her in the dim outdoors. As she ventured deeper into the trees, the young girl realized she had no idea where she was, as the fallen leaves obscured her path.  _ No matter _ , she thought as she continued to zigzag through the forest,  _ this just means I’ll get to see more of the world _ .

She eventually came to a clearing in the forest, dividing the narrow birch trees she had just navigated through from the tall and wide oaks and pines that awaited her. The sky was clear save for a few wispy clouds and the crescent moon that was waxing towards fullness. Captivated by the night sky’s beauty, Sieglinde leaned back further to take more of it in, a small branch snapping beneath her foot as she did so. A chill suddenly ran down her spine, and as her attention broke away from the canvas above, she noticed that a thick fog had settled in the clearing.

_ “Stop. Passage through this forest is forbidden.” _

Sieglinde shrieked and jumped back as a husky voice barked at her from the forest. For a moment she noticed a pair of eyes watching her, though they quickly disappeared into the darkness. She took a few hesitant steps closer, squinting to try and discern what it was that was out there.

“Who are you?”

“Nobody you want to know,” the shadowy figure replied, hidden in the dense darkness. The young girl could only guess roughly where he was before her, thanks to the cold air illuminating his warm breath. “I merely serve as a warning for all those foolish enough to cross this boundary.”

“Can’t I see what you look like?” 

“You would immediately regret it, trust me. I have met many with your curiosity over the years.” 

“How many years?” she continued to pry, trying to uncover even a bit more of the secret. She knew she must have hit a nerve as she heard a rustle amongst the branches. 

“Far many more than you have been alive, little girl. And far more than you can likely count.”

“I can count to at least one hundred! I’m the only kid in my class that can count that high,” she countered, though it only made the creature laugh eerily.

“Tell me, why did you venture out into the dark tonight?”

“I want to see the world, but my mommy and daddy don’t let me leave the house after school. Nighttime is the only chance I have to explore.” The chill she felt earlier had returned and she could feel vibrations from the ground as the creature hummed in thought. She noticed behind her that the fog had receded, forming a path back through the smaller woods she had come through.

“Your parents know very well the truths of this world it seems. Only fools travel into Wolfsschlucht’s forest at night. Return to your family, before it becomes too late. Many dwell in this forest that do not always follow our agreement.”

Feeling compelled to listen to the mysterious voice, Sieglinde dashed from the clearing and down the marked path, returning to her home. She snuck inside without alerting her parents of her departure and as she settled into bed, she tucked the covers tightly under her chin. The young girl was terrified beyond words over the encounter but also enthralled, her mind racing with wonder. Eventually her exhaustion won out, forcing her to slumber until dawn. She slept pleasantly, dreaming of what else existed out there in the forest. The excitement she felt as she woke up the next morning completely washed away any fear she should have been feeling instead.

The village did not see much change throughout the year, with no real uptick in visitors and no families travelling away. Life, for the most part, was consistent. Sieglinde continued to visit that same thicket of the forest each night when the moon was at its highest in the sky, sneaking out despite her parents’ warnings. Some nights the creature was there, scolding her for venturing out again. Most nights he was not. 

She didn’t know how to describe it, but she could sense that he was nowhere close by. Maybe it was the fact that on those nights she felt completely alone in the darkness. The fog always reappeared to guide her back home though, so it meant that someone,  _ somewhere _ in the forest was keeping watch. These ‘others’ that the creature had mentioned on the first night never revealed themselves to her though, and so she wondered if they really existed, or if his words were just meant to frighten her.

Eventually, Sieglinde’s parents caught on to her escapades, greeting her at the back door one night when she explored a bit longer than usual. Their words of caution didn’t deter her, however; if anything, they sparked a fiercer curiosity within. If they knew the truth, why couldn’t she? And if they didn’t know, she was determined to prove that whatever lived in the forest was nothing to be afraid of. Her parents’ admonitions to remain inside after the sun had set grew more insistent as the days passed, culminating in a final lockdown of the property on the night of the full moon. However, the young girl was persistent, and wasn’t going to allow a scary story for children to stop her from exploring the outside world. She escaped through her bedroom window that night, cautiously climbing down the various ledges of the exterior to a height where she could carefully jump down. She took off for the woods as soon as she hit the ground without a second thought to look back at her home.

Unlike previous nights, the forest was bursting with sound. For once she could hear footsteps other than her own, accompanied by the rustling of leaves and the occasional howl in the distance. It was exciting, and also a bit disturbing, for she heard the steady rhythm of others breathing while not being able to see them in the near darkness. With only the light of the full moon to guide her, she continued along her way, eventually arriving at the clearing from the first night. 

There was no welcoming fog tonight, however, nor any chills shooting down her spine. Sensing a need to press onward, she hesitantly walked across the clearing to the denser side of the forest, travelling deeper than she ever had before. She did not make it far, however, for once she was a few feet inside an agonizing howl echoing in the night stopped her in her tracks.

_ “What are you doing here?!” _ growled the creature from his hiding spot. Sieglinde noted that he seemed more on edge than usual. 

“I came to discover the truth. About why everyone in this town refuses to leave their homes on the night of a full moon.”

All around her the forest buzzed frighteningly to life. Her senses told her to run, though her feet refused to move, stuck in place by her profound curiosity about the outside world. She felt the creature approach closer, finally able to make out two yellow, beady eyes in the darkness, a pointed snout, and a drooling mouth full of canines.

“ _ The truth—” _

“There’s no way, you’re a werewolf! I have to tell—” Sieglinde beamed, her mind picturing the townspeople showing their gratitude for her discovery as she took her last glimpse of the world. She would disappear from the town’s record without a trace, swallowed whole by the creature as well as her own curiosity.

_ “I’m sorry, little girl,” _ hiccupped the werewolf, overwhelmed with grief. He never wanted to eat anyone, and yet they never stopped searching for answers despite his warnings.

_ “It seems you humans still have much to learn.” _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! It's been almost a year since I first began writing this fic, and while I'm a little upset that the zine didn't go as smoothly as planned, I'm still happy with this piece. I think it would have been super cool if Yana Toboso had made Wolfram a werewolf in the series but I suppose that leaves fans more room to create!


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